Reasons for no Easter leglisation misled public

An Auckland business organisation claims that
real reason the Government opted against tidying up the
Easter trading laws, is in fact not the reason Labour
Minister Trevor Mallard publicly stated last month.

Last
month Trevor Mallard claimed in a press statement* that the
4000-plus submissions to the Labour Department discussion
document on the issue of Easter trading “do not reach a
consensus and in fact opinions are quite polarised”…
“given the wide ranging views reflected in submissions,
New Zealanders clearly do not have a common
view”…”because of this total lack of consensus, I have
indicated to colleagues the I will not introduce legislation
on this issue.”

“We accepted the Minister’s
explanation at face value. Then last week we got posted a
copy of the Department of Labour’s document titled "
Easter trading - a summary of submissions" which revealed
that out of the 4,058 submitters, 3,951 were ‘National
Distribution Union Members’. The whole consultation
process was hijacked by a staggering 97.4% of submitters who
sent in a form submission written by one union and for all
the wrong reasons Labour bowed to their pressure,” said
Cameron Brewer, general manager of the Newmarket Business
Association today.

"Mr Mallard claimed that the reason
Labour was not going to tidy up the Easter trading laws was
purely because New Zealanders opinions were polarised. We
now know this is complete rubbish. The reality is a
staggering 97.4% of submissions came from the NDU which
effectively forced the Government to cave in and do nothing.
This is despite months of consultation at a huge cost to the
taxpayer and a myriad of problems that remain around Easter
for all to see.

"Easter trading will continue to be a
nightmare because this Government was simply bullied in
election year by a union. It is clear that Labour is now
more interested in votes than good public policy.”

Mr
Brewer said it is important to note that his business
association’s submission did not push for shops to open
over Easter, but made it clear that the status quo
legislation could not prevail. He said even if the majority
of shops were still forced to close, a new and level playing
field needed to be introduced by the Government to sort out
the inconsistencies around visitor destinations, shops
providing essential supplies, garden centres, and those
areas with historic exemptions.

“This was the best
chance the Government’s had since the Shop Trading Act
Repeal Act 1990 to sort out the annual Easter circus once
and for all. Unfortunately it decided to give into one of
its staunchest election year supporters, and then have the
audacity to blame the wider New Zealand public for not
having a common view. At the very best that is dishonest, at
worst misleading,”said Mr Brewer

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